Spotlight switch



Feb. 7, 1950 G. E. ROEDDING sPoTLmHfr swITcH Filed June 12, 1947 am llllllll :Sum-mor @fc5/7 Wwfafiry a Vy .I 1 W attorney:

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Patented Feb. 7, 1950 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE SPOTLIGHT SWITCH Gordon E. Boedding, Anderson, Ind., assigner to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a

corporation ot Delaware Application June 12, 1947, Serial No. 754,121

6Claims.

The present invention relates generally to a dirigible spotlight adapted for use on automobiles and more particularly to the location and construction of the electric switch and its operating struction with an operating knob which extends outwardly on each side of the housing to facilitate the operation of the switch. v

Other objects and the advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the embodiment illustrated in the accompanyingl drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of the spotlight with parts broken away and in section.

Figure 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section of the switch and parts adjacent thereto.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view taken substantially on line 3--3 of Figure 2 with parts in section.

Figure 4 is a detached perspective of the switch contact spring.

Referring ilrst to Figur'e 1, such features of the spotlight construction as do not constitute a part of the present invention have been shown in a more or less diagrammatic manner. The usual lamp casing I is rotatably mounted about a vertical axis on a head I2 which is secured to a tube I4 which is adapted to extend through a suitable support such as the front corner post of an automobile and is rotatably mounted about a horizontal axis within spaced brackets I6 and I8 adapted to be secured on opposite sides of the corner post. A handle housing, indicated generaily at 20, is secured to the inner end of the tube I4 and is provided with a spotlight operating handle 22. v

The lamp casing I8 'is secured to a vertically extending pinion 24 which is received between spaced parallel racks 26 which extend through the tube I4 into the housing 26 to engage a pinion (not shown) secured to the rotatable operating handle 22. From the foregoing, it will be apparent that rotation of the handle 22 will (Cl. o-157) head I2, a conducting spring 28 may be interposed between contact washers 2l and 32 which are respectively secured to and insulated from the casing and head. The washer 28 is connected to the lamp feed wire I4 and the washer 32 is connected to a feed wire 86 which extends through the tube I4 to the inner end of the tube where it is soldered to a terminal 38 mounted on an insulator plug 40. The insulator plug 40 extends within the end of the tube I4 and is adapted to guide and space the racks 26 from the terminal 38 which is inthe form of a substantially reciprocate the racks 26 in opposite directions to effect rotation of the lamp casing I0 about a vertical axis and that the entire assembly can be rotated about a horizontal axis w'ithin the mounting brackets I6 and I6 by swinging the handle 22.

To providev anelectrical connection at the rotatable mounting of the lamp` casing I8 on the U-shaped strap extending over the end of the insulator plug as shown in Figure 2.

The housing 20 consists of an upper portion 42 which is secured to the tube I4 by a screw 44 which extends through depending ears on the portion 42 and engages within notches in the tube I4 and insulating plug 46 as shown in Figure 2 to secure these parts together against relative movement, and a lower portion or base 46 which is detachably secured to the upper portion by means of the screw 48 and provides a mounting for the switch.

The housing base 46 is extended upwardly around the opening for the screw 48 to provide a boss 50 for mounting the several parts of the switch. A feed wire 52 which is connected to the source of current supply is soldered at its bared end to a terminal plate 54 which fits within and is supported by an insulating plate 56. The insulating plate 56 is provided with a central opening to receive the boss 56 and rests upon the base 46 between upwardly extending side flanges 58 on the base which prevent any rotation of the plate.

The terminal plate 54 is supported on plate 56 by depending projections 66 which may be formed by depressions in the plate adjacent the corners thereof, and ts within a marginal flange 62 on plate 56 with a central opening to receive a portion of the plate 56 which extends upwardly around the boss 50. At one end of the insulating plate 56 a portion of the marginal ange 62 is omitted and the plate is formed with an upwardly sloping channel 64 to receive the feed wire 52.

A contact spring 66 is adapted to rest upon the terminal plate 54 and be rotated by a knob,

68 which is of insulating material. The knob 68 is generally of circular form with a central sleeve 10 to fit around the' boss 58 on housing base 46 and a downwardly opening recess I2 to receive the contact spring 66. The spring 66 is generally U-shaped with substantially parallel upper and lower legs 14 and 16, respectively,

3 having vertically aligned openings to fit` loosely around the sleeve 100i theknob 68. As shown in Figure '3, the recess 12 conforms generally to the horizontal outline of the spring 66 to prevent relative rotation between the knob and spring.

The leg 14 of the contact spring 80 is formed with an upwardly bent contact arm 18 which extends through a slot 80 in the knob G8 and is provided with a rounded end which is adapted to frictionally engage the terminal 38 when the switch is in closed position as shown in Figure 2. The leg 16 of the contact spring is provided with a downwardly pressed projection 82 which is adapted to be received in the depression forming one of the projections 60 on terminal plate Il to function as a spring detent when the switch is in open position in which the upward movement of the contact arm 'I8 will be limited by the engagement of the leg 14 with the knob 8l adjacent the slot 80.

n reference to Figure 3 it will be seen that the switch knob 6I is oi' suillcient diameter to extend outwardly beyond each side of the housing through notches 8l in the side walls 58 of the housing base i A peripheral projection 88 is provided on the knob to limit the extent of rotation of the knob by engaging one of the side walls ,Il when the switch is in closed position and the other sidewall 58 when the switch is in open position.

The several parts of theswitch, as described above, are adapted to be readily assembled within the housing base 46 as a unit, and the base 46 then secured to the upper portion 42 of the housing with the outwardly extending portions of the switch knob $8 located between the base and upper portion to thereby retain'the switch parts in their proper positions.

It will be apparent that various modifications and changes in the specific embodiment disclosed herein may be made within the scope of the pres- Y ent invention as deilned by the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a dirigible spotlight having a lamp casing and means for adjusting the position of said lamp casing including an operating handle, a housing for supporting said handle, said housing including an upper portion and a base detachably secured thereto, and a switch in said base including a switch operating knob rotatably mounted in said base, said knob having portions thereof extending outwardly on both sides of said housing between the upper portion and base to provide for manual operation of said switch from either side of said housing.

2. In a dirigible spotlight switch, the combination witha handle housing including an upper portion and a base detachably secured thereto, of a xed terminal in said upper portion adapted to be connected to a lamp, a terminal plate in said base portion adapted to be connected to a source of current supply, a contact spring with an operating knob rotatably mounted in said base, said contact spring being in continuous engagement with said terminal plate and adapted to be rotated into and out of engagement with said ilxed terminal.

3. In a dirigible spotlight switch, the combination with a handle housing including an upper portion and a base detachably secured thereto. oi' a fixed terminal in said upper portion adapted to be connected to a lamp. an insulating plate non-rotatably supported in said base, a terminal plate mounted within said insulating plate and adapted to be connected to a source of current supply. a switch operating knob rotatably mounted in said base, and a contact spring mounted within said knob having one end in engagement with said terminal plate and the other end adapted to engage and disengage said fixed terminal on rotation of said knob.

4. In a dirigible spotlight switch, the combination with a handle housing including an upper portion and a base, of a xed terminal in said upper portion, a rotatable switch knob having a contact spring adapted to engage and disengage said fixed terminal on rotation of said knob, a support in said base for said knob, and means to detachably secure said base to said upper portion with said knob extending outwardly from said housing between said base and upper portion to retain said knob on said support.

5. In a dirigible spotlight switch, the combination with a handle housing including an upper portion and a base detachably secured thereto, of a ilxed terminal in said upper portion, a vertically extending post in said base, an insulator plate mounted on said post and non-rotatably supported in said base, a terminal plate nonrotatably supported on said insulator plate, a switch knob of insulating material rotatably mounted on said post above said terminal plate. and a contact spring mounted within said knob, said contact spring having one end in engagement with said terminal plate and the other end extending upwardly through an opening in said knob and adapted to engage and disengage said xed terminal on rotation of said knob.

6. In a dirigible spotlight having a lamp casing and means for adjusting the position of said lamp casing including an operating handle, a housing for supporting said handle, a switch in said housing, and means for operating said switch including a switch knob mounted for rotation in said housing about an axis transverse thereto and extending outwardly on opposite sides of said housing, said switch and knob being so constructed and arranged that said switch can be operated to both open and closed positions by manual operation of said knob on either side of said housing.

GORDON EZRA ROEDDING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,093,791 Madsen Apr. 21, 1914 1,102,000 Clements June 30, 1914 1,138,763 Klein May 11, 1915 1,906,489 Sklarek May 2, 1933 2,071,099 Zuckerman Feb. 16, 1937 2,147,953 Tornblom Feb. 21, 1939 2,421,881 Heasty June 10, 1947 

